The pincer grasp is the coordination of the index finger and thumb to hold an item. Each time you hold a pen or button your shirt, you’re using the pincer grasp.
Pincer grasp is a hand grasp that develops around the time a baby is 8-10 months old. This grasp corresponds to the time a baby is beginning to feed themselves finger foods. The pincer grasp is needed in order to grasp a small item, pinch it between the index and thumb and bring it to the mouth.
In a small and shallow container mix a few drops of food color with water.
Have the child squeeze the eyedropper to collect some colored water from the shallow container and then squeeze it again into the sections of the ice cube tray.
Once all the ice cube tray sections are filled, place the tray in the freezer.
Hold all the straws or pipe-cleaners together in your palm or have the child hold them this way and let go of all of them at once.
Once they are spread, ask the child to pick up one straw at a time, without moving the other straws.
Take turns picking up the straws.
If you or the child moves other straws when picking up a straw, the game is over. The winner is the one who has the most straws.
Another version of the game could be to ask the child to pick up a certain color of straws:
Start by holding all the straws together and let all of them go at once. Once they are spread, ask the child to first pick up all the blue straws, then all the green straws, and so on (for this version of the game, it’s OK if the other straws are moving).
For young children or those with poor grasp, use wider straws.
Place the pompoms on a plate or in a container.
For each clothespin, have the child reach out and pick 5-6 small pompoms, using pincer grasp to pick them up, and place in front of him.
Ask the child to apply glue on the wide part of the clothespin, and use the tweezers to place one pompom at a time on the glue.
While the glue is drying, either draw 2-3 leaves on green construction paper or let the child draw them. Have the child cut out the leaves. If the child has difficulty cutting, we recommend providing thicker lines.
Once the glue is all dry, instruct the child to glue the googly eyes on the first pompom. Make sure to glue on the clothespin side that opens up.
Ask the child to put one caterpillar on each leaf by opening the clothespin with one hand, and holding the leaf with the other hand.
Cut the plastic straws into about 1-inch pieces.
Lace the small straw pieces into the string or yarn to create a straw necklace.
You can use different color plastic straws and create matching patterns for the straw necklaces.
For each animal, you will need to use 1 craft stick and 3 pipe cleaners.
The craft stick will be used as the animal’s body and the pipe cleaners will be used as the front and back legs, as well as the tail.
Let the child find the middle point of the pipe cleaner.
Ask the child to twist the pipe cleaner around the craft stick from both ends of the pipe cleaner along one side of the craft stick.
Ask the child to stop twisting the pipe cleaner when about 1.5″ is left from each side. These can be shaped like the legs by bending the ends of the pipe cleaner forward.
Repeat the pipe cleaner twisting above on the other end of the craft stick.
Cut a small piece of the 3rd pipe cleaner and let the child glue it to the end of the craft stick. This will be used as the animal’s tale.
The child can now draw a face on the front end of the craft stick or use stickers to decorate his animal.
